The Tide - May 2023

RM plans to pilot vape detector program

by Samantha Cutler SENIOR ARTS WRITER

Through a new pilot program, MCPS will be installing vape detectors in the bathrooms of six high schools: RM, John F. Kennedy, Northwood, Paint Branch, Quince Orchard and Walt Whitman. Installations begin this week and they will remain until the end of the school year. There are three separate detection systems, designed to alert staff via text or email when they identify smoke or vape fumes.

Sophomore Nicole Walker feels that detectors alone cannot reduce vaping. “Giving them space where they don’t feel like they need to [vape] in the first place would be way more effective than punishment,” she said.

The detectors will be installed in bathrooms. “As a lot of students and community members know, vaping in bathrooms has been a concern, I would say for a number of years now,” RM principal Alicia Deeny said.

“There was a specific school in Montgomery County. The security team went in and actually [the students] were transported to the hospital, just because they got the remnants of the odor, or the fentanyl burning inside the bathrooms,” RM head of security Dennis Whalen said. “Same thing with the vapes. The vapes are in the bathrooms.”

The program also provides substance use intervention and prevention outreach.

“We have an on-site social worker, we have two staff that are through our Bridge to Wellness

program and so there is a range of possibilities,” Ms. Deeny said. “The crisis center has a lot of referrals then to organizations that support students if there’s a concern with like substance abuse.”

Currently, the MCPS Student Code of Conduct imposes disciplinary actions on students who engage in the use of illegal drugs, vaping devices or tobacco products in school. “There’s going to be loopholes, students are going to do it no matter what. It’s a good idea, but I don’t think that it’s being executed in the best way,” freshman Isabel Mancada said.

RM has already increased some security measures after two safety threats in January, in both of which a student was found in possession of a gun on school grounds.

AP exams go virtual

by Samantha Cutler SENIOR ARTS WRITER

Starting this May, RM will be offering three AP exams in a digital format: AP World History, AP US History and AP English Literature. These are three of seven exams that the College Board recently digitized, which includes AP Seminar, AP Computer Science Principles, AP English Language and AP European History.

The decision to administer a digital AP exam is made by the individual school on a class-byclass basis. “Schools were offered the choice of digital exams or paper/pencil exams in some subject areas,” RMIB Magnet Coordinator Joseph Jelen said. “These three subjects were identified after consultation with AP teachers. The teachers considered their course structure and weighed benefits the digital exams may bring.”

When considering a transition to a digital test, RM teachers considered student feedback on exams from previous years. “We were given the choice at RM if we wanted to continue on paper or wanted to make the change,”

RM AP US History teacher Lisa MacFarlane said. “The AP US History teachers decided to go with the online version because we sensed that was the direction AP testing was mov-

ing, so better to prepare now.”

Many members of RM staff think that the College Board is beginning the shift towards entirely digital exams. “It is likely that the College Board will move all of their AP exams to digital in the coming years and thus it is helpful for students to see this type of exam,” said Jelen. The exams will be full-length, consisting of the same amount of multiple choice and free response questions as a paper test, and the test-taker will

also be able to move back and forth between questions and essays within the same section.

Teachers have been making an effort to better prepare students for a testing format that they have not seen in other years.

Live-action movie latest addition to Barbie franchise

by Heather Wang SENIOR ARTS WRITER

This year, Barbie is breaking out of animation and stepping into live action. In July, a new movie directed by Greta Gerwig will be released, starring Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken.

“I’m super excited about the new Barbie movie- I’m actually so hyped,” sophomore Johnell McConell said. “I’ll be honest, I don’t know much about the Barbie universe,” senior Kevin Baer said, “I think that, you know, Barbie itself will always be a very

divisive character.”

This is not the first Barbie movie released. During the Digital

animation. Since then, there have been 40 Barbie movies released— which cover a variety of fairy tales and themes, from fairies and mermaids to spies and video games—and five seasons of the show “Barbie: Life in the Dream-

McConnell says.

In 2014, Sports Illustrated featured Barbie on the front cover of their swimsuit edition, clad in her iconic zebra print one-piece. Her model career was furthered at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

Revolution in the 2000s, Barbie led the way of modern animation with the release of the movie “Barbie in the Nutcracker” in 2001, paving the way for CGI

house”, featuring Barbie and her friends’ day to day life in Malibu. “My favorite Barbie movie was Fairytopia [because of] Bibble,”

runway show in 2009, where top designers such as Calvin Klein and Vera Wang brought their Barbie-themed looks to life.

Despite her age, Barbie has always stayed up-to-date with the latest trends and is a common figure in pop culture. In 1986, Andy Warhol did a portrait of Barbie as a gift to BillyBoy, his muse and a collector of Barbies, owning over 11,000 of them. There were also Barbies created in the likeness of celebrities, starting with supermodel Twiggy in 1967, later going on to include other stars such as Audrey Hepburn. Aside from celebrities, Mattel has also released Barbies in honor of inspirational historical figures with their “Inspiring Women” collection. This collection stars women such as Amelia Earhart and Katherine Johnson.

“It is likely that the College Board will move all of their AP exams to digital in the coming years.”

- Joseph Jelen

BARBIE cont. page 13

Vape detectors cont. page 2

“Barbie itself will always be a very divisive character.”

-

Kevin Baer

Moral psychology sheds light on abortion debate

by Crystal Li PSYCHOLOGY COLUMNIST

Rockville plans to update Town Center

by Claire Yu, Hannah Lee and Avani Ambardekar NEWS EDITORS

Rockville’s city council is working on a new master plan to update the Rockville Town Center. Because RM is within the southern boundary of the Town Center’s planning area, the council is specifically seeking feedback from RM students.

The reason for the update, according to an agenda filed by the city council, is that despite its popularity, the Town Center’s “retail continues to struggle and compete regionally.” The council also seeks to improve pedestrian safety, increase the number of amenities, reduce carbon emissions, mitigate the divisive effect of Rockville Pike and the Metro and CSX rail lines and create a more welcoming environment overall.

“It feels a little bit down and the stores are always opening and closing. There’s just some shops where I don’t really get why they’re there,” freshman Taylor Morrison said. “Especially the boutiques, nobody’s going in and buying anything, and it’s all very overpriced, and it just seems to be a very silly thing to have there.”

“I feel like it’s outdated in a sense,” junior Udy Mbanaso said. “When I go to Pike & Rose, for example… it’s like modernized.”

The Town Center—or RTC, as RM knows it—is well-known as a go-to location among RM students for studying or hanging out with friends. The Rockville Memorial Library, Panera, Starbucks, the ice rink and The Spot, for instance, are important social hubs.

“Normally I think I go to the Town Center I think at least once a week,” Morrison said.

“I’ve gone to the library a lot to rent a study room and watch movies with my friends. Or, I’ll get food before I go study with someone at the library.”

This is the habit of many oth ers at RM. “I go there once or twice a week, and it’s like really fun,” Kirubel said. “I normally go there for sushi at Dawson’s, or just to go ice skating, or at the play center. It’s real ly fun—library, all that.”

Students also have vary ing opinions on safety concerns in the Town Cen ter. “They could make it safer for the students here,” freshman Bethel Kirubel said.

“In terms of safety I’ve never felt super unsafe,” Mbanaso said.

Public input for the update began in April. Primary public engagement efforts will occur between May and October. The Comprehensive Planning Division (CPD) aims to prepare the update for approval from Rockville’s mayor and city council by April 2024.

Less than a year after the reversal of Roe v. Wade last June, the Supreme Court was again poised to make a major decision on abortion. As anti-abortion plaintiffs prepare to advocate in courts for the ban of Mifepristone, a pill used in over half of abortions in the US, the Supreme Court decided on April 20 to allow the pill to remain widely available until a final ruling is made.

Abortion has shifted to the forefront of 2024 presidential campaigns, entrenching “anti-abortion” and “abortion-rights supporter” as flagship Republican and Democratic policy positions.

The question of how partisans think about issues like abortion and how such issues become politicized is the focus of political psychology, a branch of research that has emerged amid the polarization of recent decades.

When deciding whether to support a policy, many people consider the broader implications of it rather than how it might directly impact themselves. “You think about it more generally—the morality of something and how it’ll affect other people,” senior Saahil Rao said.

This is especially true giv

en that voters don’t necessarily have a personal stake in all of the policies they advocate for or against. “I’m really passionate about climate change and that’s going to affect everyone eventually, but other things I care a lot about, like energy policy and housing, don’t really affect me directly,” senior David Smith said.

Duke University researcher Christopher Johnston and his colleagues found that, for the most politically-engaged citizens, the question they ask themselves is not primarily “What will this policy do for me?” but rather “What would supporting this policy position say about me?”

People often take stances to “virtue-signal”––to express values and morals that they stand for.

This logic applies to abortion: in the decades following Roe v. Wade, conservative evangelicals viewed abortion as a threat to the traditional family structure and therefore opposed it largely for the values it embodied. “Abortion became a proxy issue for concerns about a liberalizing society,”

Mary Ziegler, a legal historian at University of California-Davis, said in an interview with Reuters.

In recent years social psychologists have identified distinct sets of morals that conservatives and liberals each rely on when taking political stances, which are encapsulated in New York University psychology professor Jonathan Haidt’s Moral Foundations Theory. The theory posits that most moral reasoning boils down to five ideals that humans are attuned to at birth: Care (protection from harm), Fairness (justice and equality), Loyalty (deference to one’s ingroup), Authority (respect) and Purity (sanctity, health and cleanliness).

Further, according to Haidt, liberals tend to be more concerned

servatives, while conservatives are more concerned with Loyalty, Authority and Purity than liberals.

This is evidenced in liberals’ endorsement of policies like universal healthcare and in experiments showing that conservatives support climate change mitigation efforts more if framed in terms of maintaining Earth’s purity or demonstrating patriotism to the US.

A study applying this framework to abortion concluded that the extent to which individuals value Fairness predicts support of abortion rights while the value placed on Sanctity predicts opposition of abortion. In practice, abortion-rights supporters for fairness to women and their freedom to make decisions about their bodies, while anti-abortion rhetoric often mentions “the sanctity of life.”

That moral convictions are so deep-seated may explain why political views always seem impossibly rigid: it takes changing a person’s moral orientations to change their political views. “When you’re in a political debate with someone who knows their stuff and believes what they believe, then you’re not going to change their mind,” Rao said. “Someone can’t make you change your values in one conversation.”

“Someone can’t make you change your values in one conversation.”

- Saahil Rao

PHOTO BY CLAIRE YU

Rink or no rink, RM students can be frequently found socializing in front of the Memorial Library.

At RM, three AP exams are now digital

by Samantha Cutler NEWS WRITER

Starting this May, RM will be offering three AP exams in a dig ital format: AP World History, AP U.S. History and AP English Literature. These are three of sev en exams that the College Board recently digitized. The others are AP Seminar, AP Computer Sci ence Principles, AP English Lan guage and AP European History. The decision to administer a digital AP exam is made by the individual school on a class-byclass basis. “Schools were offered the choice of digital exams or pa per/pencil exams in some subject areas,” RMIB Magnet Coordina tor Joseph Jelen said. “These three subjects were identified after con sultation with AP teachers. The teachers considered their course structure and weighed benefits the digital exams may bring.”

When considering a transition

Maryland passes new gun control bills

by Nirav Akkanapragada

As the current legislative session for the Maryland Legislature came to an end, the body passed two gun control bills: Senate Bill 1 (SB0001) and House Bill 824 (HB0824).

SB0001 makes it illegal to carry a concealed handgun in certain “sensitive areas” like school playgrounds, polling locations and hospitals. It also allows private property owners to control whether firearms can be brought onto their property. The final bill was passed by the Maryland Senate on Monday, April 10 with a vote of 31-16. HB0824 raises the age for legal gun possession from 18 to 21 and expands prohibitions on who cannot possess firearms. The final bill increases fees for a wear-and-carry permit from $75 to $125. It also requires a detailed annual report on gun violations, expands some firearm training requirements, and makes sure that gun appli-

cations note county of residency, race, ethnicity and gender. The final bill passed the Maryland House of Delegates on Satur day, April 8 with a vote of 98-40. Many RM students support the state’s address of the gun control issue. “I think it’s a very import ant issue and should be more controlled across the nation. As students, we shouldn’t have to

worry about anything other than our education but it’s hard doing so knowing our school or any school could be attacked,” sophomore Ruslan Akmyradov said.

Some are skeptical of the ef-

tenced for illegal gun possession to enroll in a firearms training course and petition a judge for future gun licensing, but it eventually failed as the Senate voted 28-14 to withdraw Carter’s amendment.

During the legislative sessions and ahead of the bill’s passage, gun rights groups and advocates

The efficacy of these bills is still shadowed by last summer’s Supreme Court decision that struck down New York’s law restricting concealed gun possession in public. For now, Governor Wes Moore will sign these bills into law.

GRAPHIC BY HANNAH LEE

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) began fighting on April 15 in Sudan’s densely populated capital Khartoum. Since then, hundreds have died from violence and shortages. Analysts believe it is a power struggle for national control and a precursor to civil war.

In 2021, the SAF, led by Sudan’s de facto leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, led by vice-leader Mohamad Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo, together overthrew the brief civilian democracy that had formed after decades of military rule. Dagalo’s subsequent desire to integrate the RSF into the national army and al-Burhan’s refusal led to the violent rivalry.

“[The RSF’s offensive] is [...] rebellion against the state,” Burhan told CNN. A humanitarian crisis unfolds: according to ACAPS, about 15.8 million Sudanese will need assistance due to food and medical supply shortages. The WHO also declared a “high bio-hazard risk” in Khartoum after fighters seized a laboratory housing measles and cholera samples.

“Prior to the conflict, Sudan already struggled to provide adequate resources for children and families, and the conflict has severely escalated this,” RM UNICEF Club co-president and junior Niki Esmaili said. “Currently, UNICEF is providing emergency health kits to families. RM students can contribute by donating using the link in our Instagram bio (@rmhsunicef) that takes them to the UNICEF website.”

Florida’s “Don’t Say Period” bill sparks concern

by Akshya Mahadevan NEWS WRITER

Florida House Bill 1069, dubbed the “Don’t Say Period” bill, passed the state House on March 31. The bill, introduced by Republican Rep. Stan McClain, would restrict sex and health education in the state, most notably through the ban of instruction on human sexuality, sexually transmitted diseases and menstruation before sixth grade. If signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis, it would take effect on July 1.

According to the National Health Services, girls typically start puberty between ages 8 and 13, and boys start puberty between ages 9 and 14. This means many young girls experience their periods before starting middle school.

“Imagine getting your first period at school in fifth grade and panicking because you don’t know what is happening,” junior Joy Jiang said.

Florida Democrat Rep. Ashley

Viola Gantt shared this sentiment and criticized the lack of research in the bill. “It wasn’t even contemplated that little girls can have their periods in third grade or fourth grade,” she said in her testimony.

The bill prevents education on basic puberty. “This could make students feel embarrassed and shameful about something that’s completely natural,” junior Lara Todd said. “Lack of education on periods is a lack of basic education.”

Some RM students wonder what young girls ages 8 to 11 should do when they have their periods before what is mandated by the state as an “acceptable age to know” about their own bodies.

“Sure, maybe Florida lawmakers want to restrict the discussion to parents and families only, but what about the students who don’t have anyone to tell them this— unavailable parents or guardians who just don’t care?” Jiang said.

The bill also attempts to exclude the existence of transgender and nonbinary people in its

sex education reform for grades 6 through 12, defining reproductive role and sex as sex chromosomes, naturally occurring sex hormones and internal and external gen italia present at birth. The law also mandates that all material used for sex and health educa tion courses be approved by the state education department to ensure they follow the idea that “biological males impregnate bi ological females by fertilizing the female egg with male sperm; that the female then gestates the offspring.”

Parents are given more ability to object to what is being taught in classes, and De Santis’ guidelines make it eas ier for them to do so. Accord ing to the bill, once a course material is objected to, it must be removed from instruction within five days. Only after the objection is resolved may instruction using those materials continue.

As this would likely give parents more authority in the education system, some

question future implications of the policy. “What if a parent says I don’t want my child to ever be exposed to slavery and

“As students, we shouldn’t have to worry about anything other than our education.”

- Ruslan Akmyradov

On page 14, Christiana Vucea’s name was misspelled.

MARCH CORRECTIONS

GRAPHIC BY HANNAH LEE

OPINIONS

The Tide staff must reflect its students

by Ella Koenig, Avery Wang, and Samantha Wu

PHOTO EDITOR, EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Richard Montgomery is one of the most diverse high schools in the county, but The Tide’s newsroom composition fails to reflect this standing. The Tide not only strives to provide accurate, timely news to the student body, but to represent perspectives. Although the paper has expanded its coverage capabilities through new Video and revived TidePod sections, The diversity of The Tide’s staff and representation of the student body’s greater perspectives is sorely lacking especially in positions of leadership. We strive for our journalists to report the unheard perspectives and hidden narratives in every story. Possessing contributors from a variety of backgrounds with unique sets of lived experiences ensures that our news coverage ventures beyond the obvious. If these issues remain unresolved, The Tide risks becoming a newspaper for an audience that mirrors its staff, instead of a newspaper covering the entirety of the RM student body and greater Rockville community. As a way to consider the perspectives that shape our newspaper, we analyzed the identities of students who lead The Tide, and therefore have the largest sway over its mission and message: the editors-in-chief (EICs).

Since the 2008-2009 academic year, 58 students have held the position of editor-in-chief, averaging four editors-in-chief per year from 2008-2018, and three editors since the 2018-2019 school year. RM’s student gender distribution is roughly split evenly between female and male, according to a recent USNews report, but over the past 15 years, 81% - an overwhelming majority - of these editors in chief have been women. Only 11 EICs have been male, with the last male editor in chief being Derek Yao during the 2019-2020 school year.

According to the 2021-2022 School Profile, with 24% Hispanic students, 16% African American students, 24% Asian students; 30% White students; and 6% multiracial students, “RMHS mirrors the ethnic diversity of Montgomery County.” But The Tide’s EICs do not reflect the diversity of the school.

Asian students are heavily overrepresented in cohorts of EICs. At least half of every group of EICs has been comprised of Asian students, who make up nearly two-thirds of the past 15 years of EICs, followed by White students at 27%. In comparison, other racial groups are severely underrepresented. Since 2008, just three Black and two Hispanic students have served as EIC, or just 5% and 3.4% of the 58 EICs respectively. This is despite the two racial groups accounting for a combined 40% of the student population, almost double the

24% Asian students make up.

The social and cultural benefits of RM’s status as one of the most diverse schools in the country imbues The Tide with the responsibility to represent that diversity.

It is impossible for one person, or even three EICs, to find and pursue every story worth telling, no matter how immersed they are in the RM community. That’s why newsroom diversity is a catalyst for uncovering stories that don’t immediately present themselves.

As the diversity of The Tide expands, the diversity of stories recognized as “newsworthy” expands. A positive feedback loop begins to form: more relevant and poignant stories to our audience are published, so more readers connect with The Tide, further diversifying our coverage, bringing The Tide closer to a newspaper truly of the student population.

We must encourage and retain contributors from all interests and backgrounds, but that process starts with accessibility and visibility to a greater proportion of RM’s student population - with The Tide’s recruitment process each school year, and the experiences we provide as a newspaper leadership team to create an environment that inspires contributors to keep contributing.

The Tide is a more easily aligned opportunity for students with certain backgrounds, leading to a bias in coverage. Rigorous practice schedules often pose an obstacle to student athletes joining The Tide, as they

are less likely to have free time, creating holes in Sports coverage.

Students who prefer STEM over humanities are less likely to gravitate towards writing-based extracurriculars, making it more difficult to staff the Science beat. But The Tide offers students the chance to become involved at any commitment level, from taking a single photo every month to writing an article every two weeks.

We’ve been working to make The Tide easily accessible by incorporating scannable QR codes into presentations and posting flyers throughout the school. We’ve seen that effective advertising has real results. Last year, enrollment

in RM’s journalism class filled a single period. But following notices and announcements about the class, enrollment doubled, so much that it had to be split into two class periods. The spike in enrollees and staff writers is a much more accurate reflection of the gender distribution of RM. With a continued focus on increased accessibility and visibility to attract student contributors with a wider range of lived experiences, The Tide’s staff and coverage will better live up to its name: the student newspaper of Richard Montgomery.

DACA recipients need access to quality healthcare

by Balmore Ruiz OPINIONS WRITER

The U.S. is meant to embody the ideals of equal opportunity for all its citizens. However, it is becoming increasingly evident that not all people have access to the same opportunities and equity in living a comfortable and stable life. The U.S. tends to be assertive in playing a productive social role for its residents. There needs to be a great focus and priority in making sure all people of this country have an equitable satisfaction.

Immigrants have faced struggles and challenges in equitable opportunities in the U.S. Thus the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program was created in 2012 by the Obama administration, bringing relief through aid and opportunities for the immigrant youth.

Unfortunately, even with this program, there are still some issues that should be resolved. The Biden-Harris administration has worked to try and preserve the basis of what DACA stands for.

Earlier this month, the administration aimed to expand health coverage to more DACA members since 34% of its members do not have health insurance. This demonstrates that there is still a number of people that need assistance to ensure their well-being.

The Department of Health and Human Services has proposed

a rule to help codify federally-funded health insurance to include more DACA members. The new decision is scheduled to be released to the public by the end of the month and will help give DACA recipients the opportunity to be covered by Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act and other useful programs. This comes as extraordinary news for many immigrant parents whose finan-

it’s clear that many American families are one accident or illness away from financial ruin.” Immigrants should not be prevented from accessing healthcare as they also contribute to the country. Many RM students find themselves supporting increased access to healthcare and are aware of the current healthcare system’s failures. Senior Catherine San-

tunities for its residents. As a result of making small but impactful adjustments, progressive change is created that brightens and solidifes a good future for the U.S. The miniature steps of establishing DACA were designated with great integrity. However, simple crumbs are insufficient to satisfy

those who still face hardships and struggles when dealing with our society’s imperfect systems. The DACA program was a great first step, and now it is our collective responsibility to continue building a more equitable society, starting with healthcare access for all.

The Tide

250 Richard Montgomery Drive Rockville, Maryland 20852

www.thermtide.com

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The Tide is the student newspaper of Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, Maryland. The Tide is dedicated to keeping the Richard Montgomery school community accurately informed and to providing a forum for student expression. 700 copies of the newspaper are printed and distributed among students. Any corrections are printed in the following issue on page 2.

The opinions presented in The Tide do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff and administration at Richard Montgomery.

The Tide is affliated with ASPA, CSPA, and NSPA.

cial situations have hindered their ability to access insurance.

Health is incredibly important to our prosperity as individuals, and it is crucial that all people qualify for and have access to health insurance. Finances should never be a barrier to quality healthcare; everyone deserves to have affordable support if their life were to be in critical danger. Psychology teacher Carlos Montalvan said, “I think we need to take an honest look at the infrastructure in terms of health care policy, because it’s incredibly expensive and

chez said, “The U.S. is such a capitalist country; I feel like a lot of people will think that the Biden-Harris Administration is taking advantage of taxpayer money. But I feel like, like I said, it’s a human right, it’s not really a privilege… in my opinion, everyone deserves health care.”

Our community needs to ensure all residents have equitable opportunities and access to such a vital necessity as healthcare.

The U.S. needs to live up to its name and reputation through equitable and charitable oppor-

Questions, concerns, and suggestions on articles, advertisements, and photos can be submitted to thetideeditors@gmail.com.

Editors-in-Chief.......................................................Samantha Wu, Avery Wang, Davi Jacobs

News.....................................................................Claire Yu, Hannah Lee, Avani Ambardekar

Opinions................................................................Maria Alba, Riona Sheikh, Max Belyantsev

Centerspread...........................................................Tara Amin, Shuxin Dai, Mayah Nachman

Features.............................................................................Ellie Noh, Niki Esmaili, Elena Parisi

Arts................................................................................Claire Xu, Raha Murtuza, Claire Chen

Sports...............................................................................Ari Fine, Shelby Roth, Maggie Orcev

Social Justice.........................................Helina Tamiru, Samiksha Mahashetty, Charlyn Chu

Photo....................................................................................Ella Koenig, Kobina Asafu-Adjaye

Graphics...........................................................................................Julianne Cruz, Evelyn Shue

Multimedia...................................................Uma Patnaik, Jessica Wang, Carter Zembrzuski

Crossword....................................................................................................................Annie Guo

Sponsors..........................................................................Ms. Jennifer Kidd, Ms. Bonnie Peyer

PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR

GRAPHIC BY SAMANTHA WU

Affirmative action crucial to ensure diversity of voices

by Maria Alba ASSISTANT OPINIONS EDITOR

Affirmative action policies play a vital role in helping thousands of students of color achieve their dreams of pursuing higher education. Since 1977, judges have ruled in favor of affirmative action as a method to promote diversity in universities, finding a “compelling governmental interest.” However, in 2014, Students for Fair Admissions sued both Harvard and UNC, asking the Supreme Court to overrule 40 years of precedent supporting affirmative action. These ongoing cases, scheduled to reach a decision in June 2023, threaten to eliminate race as a factor in university admissions once and for all. Eliminating affirmative action does nothing to address the core inequalities that plague higher education. Instead, it exacerbates them and endangers the success and livelihood of people of color (POC).

Critics of affirmative action often claim that they’re fighting for “racial equali ty” but ignore the obvious, overwhelm ing inequality in education that will ensue if affirmative ac tion comes to an end. They attack affirmative ac tion with the argument that the policy is in consistent with principles of equality because it discriminates White and Asian applicants. However, affirmative action is a necessary policy that simply at tempts to level the playing field

and promote diversity in higher education. In fact, recent studies have found that the supposed “Asian penalty” is caused by white advantages in college admissions, not affirmative action. It is no secret that wealth impacts how likely one is to go to college. The Hechinger Report says that students from high-income families are eight times more likely to get bachelor’s degrees by the time they’re 24 than those from low-income families. Critics of affirmative action tend to leave out the fact that socioeconomic status is almost intrinsically linked to race, meaning that White and Asian students, being the wealthiest racial groups, have an inherent and unjust advantage when it comes to college admissions. Removing affirmative action has only one purpose and one outcome: the elimination of diversity in higher education through the exacerbation of unjust advantages held by most Asian and White students.

According to the

mission to top universities. One of the biggest reasons for this is that wealthier students go to better funded schools with more, high quality resources. NPR re ports that the low-income Chi cago Ridge district spent $9,794 per child in 2013, lower than the national average, while the af fluent Rondout district spent $28,639 per child. Even more, wealthy students are more likely to attend schools with AP class

creased from 9% to 4% percent, and has not increased since. This is nowhere near diverse or

es and have access to tutors and standardized test preparation.

One of the biggest wealth and race related disparities causing inequality in college admissions is that of standardized test scores. In a 2013 paper, “Race, Poverty and SAT Scores,” researchers Ezekiel J. Dixon-Roman and John J. Mcardle found that wealthy students earn higher SAT scores compared to their low-income peers.

The consequences of repealing affirmative action are clear. The Atlantic states that after Michigan prohibited the consideration of race in admissions at public colleges and universities in 2006, the number of Black students at the University of Michigan de-

benefits of diversity. According to the University of Illinois, companies with the highest racial diversity experience 15 times more sales revenue and are 43% more likely to experience higher profits. A diverse workforce provides varied perspectives and experiences that improve the quality of goods and services and cultivate creative problem-solving. At the end of the day, eliminating affirmative action doesn’t just harm minorities - it hurts everybody. Our society has failed to create a level playing field in which affirmative action is not needed. Even scholarships are incredibly flawed: White students receive 72% of all scholarships, while minority students only receive 28%. Even federal grants for “exceptional financial need” are not

enough; students in the lowest income quartile still need an average of $14,000 per year even after grants from all sources are taken into account. When even the most basic methods of assistance are almost entirely given to the most fortunate, affirmative action is all the more necessary. In the U.S., more often than not, most children of color are born at an inherent disadvantage. away affiris at its core a racist action. Opponents of affirmative action may cling to principles of equality, but their refusal to fight against the inequalities in college admissions that harm non-white and non-asian students reveals their true motives. If they succeed, they will have failed the over 10 million innocent children of color living in poverty, victims to the evils of systemic racism and the economic marginalization of minorities that continue to plague our nation. They will have failed the plethora of judges, litigators and teachers that have spent decades fighting for diversity in education. Until economic disparities between races are adequately addressed, college admissions without affirmative action will remain inherently unequal, unethical, and disgraceful.

GRAPHIC BY JASMINE CHEN

‘Rizz,’ ‘mid,’ ‘W’: older generations decode Gen-Z lingo

by Paavani Lal Das

OPINIONS WRITER

Gen Z’s dialect is sometimes hard to comprehend at first glance: why is the childless Taylor Swift referred to as “mother?” Why might someone’s outfit “give washed up DCOM actor?” One can tell that such phrases aren’t part of what most consider traditional or “normal” speech. For those born between the years 1981 to 1996—Millennials—the difficulty would probably be in figuring out what exactly all these new terms mean. They would probably reminisce about the days of “adulting” and “doggo” as they tried to interpret the unforgiving world of Gen Z slang. Right?

There certainly are some barriers to push through when it comes to generational language differences. New terms are created often, and even older members of the same Generation Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) might find it hard to keep up with the evolution of language. There are countless “Gen Z slang guides” to be found upon a quick Google search. Publications like the New York Times have published multiple pieces on workplace miscommunication involving Gen Z slang. The Washington Post has a quiz entitled “Cringe quiz: Are you fluent in Gen-Z office speak?”

The misunderstandings of Gen Z slang are not necessarily the fault of older generations, however. Gen Z grew up with online access—the first iPhone was re-

leased in 2007, when the oldest members of Gen Z were only ten years old and still in elementary school. There is also no question about the immense influence social media has on daily life; as communication became instant, so did the spread and evolution of language. With the rapid development of the Internet and social media sites like Instagram and Twitter (the “Bird app”, in Gen Z), any viral tweet or short video can popularize a new word or phrase almost instantaneously.

For example, take the word “cheugy.” The word is a generally negative term for a Millennial, and its hashtag #cheugy has 334.7 million views on TikTok.

According to Google Trends, before April 2021, it received no more than one search a week, but with one viral TikTok by Hallie Cain, it blew up on social media.

Words like “cheugy” aren’t restricted to social media platforms. RM students, like many students across the globe, are well aware of common TikTok slang, and teachers at RM hear it being used more often. The trouble is, most teachers aren’t members Generation Z. “In the halls I hear ‘mid’ a lot, ‘rizz’ a lot, which are words that I had not heard of before a few months ago,” said science teacher

Stuart Albaugh, a member of the Millennial generation. “The first time I heard ‘ate’ I was like, what are you saying?” Mr. Albaugh said. But this doesn’t mean that teachers like Mr. Albaugh have trouble communicating with students because of slang. “There aren’t really any obstacles,” Mr. Albaugh said. “I understand what

say, to me it just sounds weird.”

In fact, all things considered, millennials and Gen Z are not very separate in terms of communication - rather, research suggests the opposite. Studies conducted by the Pew Research Center suggest that Gen Z and Millennials agree on many political issues, such as their mutual concern for climate change. Additionally, Gen Z, like most Millennials, want to seek alternative energy sources, are prolarge government, and strongly

disapproved of former President Trump during the late stages of his presidency. According to Pew, about 35% of Gen Z and 25% of Millennials are familiar with gender-neutral pronouns, while Gen X drops to 16%, Baby Boomers 12%, and the Silent generation (born 1928 to 1945) a mere 7%. The majority of Gen Z and Millennials approve of the NFL kneeling protests while Gen X, Boomers, and the Silents skew the opposite direction. These younger generations also see increased racial and ethnic diversity as a good thing, again, in significantly larger numbers than the older ones. While each generation might use different terminology in their day-to-day lives, what they’re saying is quite similar. The real struggles for communication usually occur in the workplace, between Gen X bosses and Gen Z employees, who are just now entering the workforce in large numbers. Purdue Global shows that most of the workforce is made up of these two generations as Boomers retire and the rest of Gen Z works their way through school. This may create some issues, especially when

Gen Z employees have to communicate with their bosses in an appropriate and comprehensible way. We have yet to see how this generational gap in the workplace will manifest in the long run.

Besides, while Gen Z is definitely the most tech-savvy generation of them all, millennials are not far behind. Eighty-six percent of Millennials use social media daily, according to the University of Texas, and “cheugy” spreader Cain is on the cusp of being a Millennial herself.

While there is a healthy gap between Gen Z and other generations, when it comes to communication with Millennials, there is no meaningful difference. Both generations are able to understand each other well enough, even if Millennials use more “outdated” terms while Gen Z uses more seemingly-random words and phrases. It’s also worth noting that not all Millennials can use Gen Z terms naturally or effectively. “They just try a little too hard,” sophomore Tarini Tippa said. As time goes on, a deeper look into the development of language structures, social media innovations, societal changes, and other key factors will be necessary to fully grasp the complex nuances of the generational language gap. In the meantime, though modern dialects will continue to evolve, millennials and Gen Z should have no problems with daily communication.

GRAPHIC BY JASMINE CHEN

Until economic disparities between races are adequately addressed, college admissions without affirmative action will remain inherently unequal, unethical, and disgraceful.

FOX settlement shows objectivity matters

by Max Belyantsev ASSISTANT OPINIONS EDITOR

On Apr. 18, 2022, FOX News, a prominent U.S. news organization, agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems a record-breaking $787 million in a settlement to resolve “fake news” allegations. Dominion Voting Systems originally sought $1.6 billion in damages against the mass media company, alleging that the news network had repeatedly claimed that the

with Rudy,” referring to former New York mayor and Trump supporter Rudy Guiliani. Sean Hannity, a FOX News host, did not believe the fraud claims “for one second” but wanted to give accusers the chance to produce evidence, according to a deposition.

It is appalling to see such a large news organization has a patterned tolerance of misinformation. News obligations ought to consider the ethical implications of hosting guests who have a history of spreading lies about election fraud or hailing Trump while twisting the facts. “They allowed lies to be propagated, and they are responsible, in my view, for a large part of the political violence and instability that we’re seeing in society,” social studies teacher Noah Grosfeld-Katz said.

Even Rupert Murdoch, chairman of the FOX News corporation, allegedly had knowledge of the false claims being made on the air. Per an email sent by Murdoch on Nov. 19, 2020, what he saw in the press conference featuring Powell and Guiliani was “really crazy stuff. And damaging.”

RM’s open lunch policy should stay despite concerns

FOX News is generally known to align more closely with Republican values; this lawsuit takes this a step further and reveals how the company knowingly served as a platform for lawmakers to make false claims on air for millions to hear. “When I think of Fox News, I usually think of like a typically more right-wing news platform, and I do not really think of it as like an informative or accurate news source,” junior Elliott Koschalk said. “I think that if a news source knows that their information is incorrect, and still portrays it in a different way anyway, then I think that there can be a case made against that resource.” The outlet’s hosts are typically under immense pressure, as their careers rely on viewership, primarily fueled by their popularity, the statements they make, the guests they bring on, and similar factors; in their field, success is closely linked to how much political influence they exert and the resulting viewer counts.

lem and will just hurt many who haven’t done anything wrong.

company falsely rigged its voting machines against former President Donald Trump during his 2020 reelection campaign. FOX News asserted that the organization was simply reporting what certain Republican lawmakers had claimed about Dominion Voting’s machines—that said, the organization must be held responsible for the sizeable damage it has done.

This lawsuit relates to the aftermath of the 2020 election, in which former President Trump had repeatedly made false claims that the election was rigged against him, in favor of the Democratic candidate, President Joe Biden. In the three years since the election, no significant evidence has been discovered to support election interference, making Trump’s antics nothing more than a reflection of his own denial and political strategy to return to the throne. According to PBS News, “Trump’s former attorney general, William Barr, found no evidence of widespread election fraud. Trump’s allegations of voting fraud also have been dismissed by a succession of judges and refuted by state election officials and an arm of his own administration’s Homeland Security Department.” An Associated Press review of potential voter fraud causes in the six states disputed by Trump found fewer than 475, which would have made no significant difference in the 2020 election results.

Two months before the scheduled trial date, Dominion Voting Systems uncovered how certain individuals at FOX News doubted election-rigging claims off-camera. According to the Associated Press, on Nov. 16, 2020, FOX News host Tucker Carlson reportedly said via text to a producer that “Sidney Powell is lying,” referring to one of Donald Trump’s lawyers. Laura Ingraham texted Carlson that Sidney Powell was “a complete nut. No one will work with her. Ditto

The lawsuit brought against the news outlet hinged on the idea that employees “deliberately amplified” false election claims. According to the Associated Press, “Murdoch even wrote on Jan. 5, 2021, to a top executive urging that prominent Fox personalities issue a statement acknowledging Biden’s legitimate win.”

FOX News made billions of

It appears that former President Trump, despite his questionable past, remains central, if not the leading Republican figure in American politics. His supporters cling to whatever claims he makes, often failing to verify their accuracy. Other Republican lawmakers tend to conform to his influence; over 129 Republican Congress members supported Donald Trump’s continuing efforts to claim victory, according to The Washington Post. The former President will run for reelection in 2024.

The U.S. is in a current state of ever-increasing political confusion and polarization. The country may be headed for another political reversal in 2024. According to FiveThirtyEight, President Biden’s average approval rating stands at 42 percent, about 11 points lower than his 53 percent disapproval rating. These figures are similar to former President Trump’s approval and disapproval ratings in April 2019 before his subsequent loss.

Open lunch is a time-honored tradition at Richard Montgomery High School. Every day, hundreds of students leave school during lunchtime. During fifth period, it is extremely common to see classmates still drinking something. However, due to the actions of just a few students, open lunch may be jeopardized for all students.

dollars in 2022—$1.5 billion to be exact. Is anything truly worth creating a polarized political climate filled with falsehoods? It is clearly wrong for FOX to fuel a pattern of lying that our country’s political state might never return from. “It would be unreasonable to pull the media company to, you know, be 100% certain in any of the claims they show because certainty is not always possible. And sometimes you have to do months of research to understand if something is certain. However, the evidence is clear from what we’ve seen in the public reporting—that those Fox News hosts knew that what they were saying was wrong, all right, and that they doubted those claims, that there was no evidence whatsoever, and they still aired them,” Mr. Grosfeld-Katz said. “They lied. They knew what they were saying was not true. And they caused damage.”

This incident clearly reveals how influential lawmakers are, simply by the nature of their political office and intimate connection with the media. For media outlets to make the most money, they must cater to their audiences.

We must hold our news organizations to a higher standard when it comes to unbiased coverage of current events—Americans need to know the truth, not just

Recently, some students have shoplifted from the CVS in Ritchie Center. It has gotten so bad that CVS is limiting the amount of high schoolers allowed inside it’s premises at a time. It is now a common thing to see a line of around four or five high schoolers, waiting to be admitted into CVS.

While shoplifting is obviously bad, it should not be the burden of all students to deal with their peer’s actions. Freshman Cindy Jin said, “Even if open lunch didn’t exist, I feel like RM students who use open lunch to shoplift from CVS would still be shoplifting, outside of school.” While the ability to go out for lunch gives students a designated time of day to shoplift, students who do so during lunchtime could easily do it after school, as well.

Some students think that RM administrators can help out with the situation. Jin said, “Security guards or other administrators [could be] positioned in front of the school or near the Richie center, just to make sure students aren’t doing anything suspicious.” There are many alternative solutions that would remedy the shoplifting problem rather than stopping open lunch altogether. There are many benefits to students having open lunch. Students can be social, eat healthier than what is offered in the cafeteria, and be exposed to a range of new foods. Freshman Charlotte Cornman said, “it’s really nice to have the freedom to be able to go wherever I want.” Just because a few students are doing something teens have been doing for decades doesn’t subtract from the positives of open lunch. Freshman Grace Li said, “[Open lunch is] just a really good opportunity to go out and I can’t imagine RM without my weekly lunch boba visits.” Open lunch is so deeply ingrained in RM culture. Furthermore, many stores such as Ding Tea typically have lines coming out of their storefront during lunch time. Open lunch isn’t just beneficial for students; it’s also good for the nearby restaurants. Stopping open lunch means stopping supporting these stores. Open lunch for all students is

what aligns with their beliefs. In this sense, FOX News has let down its viewers. We should also hold the claims of public figures under more scrutiny and do our due diligence as a society to prevent the spread of misinformation. Readers should consult several news outlets and different perspectives before taking a conclusive stance on any issue to reduce the harmful consequences of media bias.

In addition, shoplifting is ordinary for some teens, with or without open lunch. Freshman Katie Hu said, “Kids are growing, they’re developing, they’re always obviously gonna have these rebellious thoughts.” She added, “The [shoplifters] are like 5% of the population, everyone else just wants to get boba and stuff.” Teen shoplifting is a bad problem, but it’s not new, strange, or abnormal. Stopping open lunch won’t solve this prob-

one of the things that makes Richard Montgomery High School unique and special compared to other Montgomery County Public Schools. It is an enriching opportunity and, at the end of the day, the actions of a few shouldn’t impact so many people.

OPINIONS WRITER

GRAPHIC BY CHRISTIANA VUCEA by Gabrielle Orringer

“[Open lunch is] just a really good opportunity to go out and I can’t imagine RM without my weekly lunch boba visits.”

- Grace Li

“They allowed lies to be propagated, and they are responsible, in my view, for a large part of the political violence and instability that we’re seeing in society.”

- Mr. Grosfeld-Katz

“The [shoplifters] are like 5% of the population, everyone else just wants to get boba and stuff.”

-

Katie Hu

“I do not really think of [FOX News] as, like, an informative or accurate news source.”

- Elliot Koschalk

IMAGE COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

JUSTICE

Controversy erupts following Texas ban of abortion pill

by Anand Ginsburg-Shukla SOCIAL JUSTICE WRITER

A federal judge in Texas outlawed mifepristone, a widely used abortion pill, on April 7. Soon after, however, a District Court in Washington D.C. blocked the Food and Drug Administration from suspending approval of the pill in 18 states. These conflicting rulings have impacted the Supreme Court’s stance on the issue. As a result, the drug is available in the United States with a perscription on April 21.

The ban on mifepristone would heavily affect abortion clinics

throughout the nation, one of the first obstacles to abortions from a federal level. However, the Supreme Court ruling has preserved the drug’s legality for now.

In what has been a long lasting standoff over the right to an abortion, many Americans are outraged at the possibility of further restricting abortion rights through the mifepristone ban.

The Supreme Court has been controversial in the last few years in regards to the ongoing discussion over the right to choose. After issuing a ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization which overturned the precedent set in Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court left abortion laws up to the jurisdiction of the states. Since the de-

cision in Dobbs, 13 states have placed full bans on abortions.

This trend is an effect of the 2016 election when former president Donald Trump was elected and has since placed multiple conservative judges on the Supreme Court.

In 2017, Trump also nominated Matthew Kacsmaryk to serve as district judge on the District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Judge Kacsmaryk was one of the judges who issued the latest decision to ban mifepristone in Texas. Judge Kacsmaryk has been highly scrutinized for his background and financial activities since he issued this decision.

To midwife and women’s health specialist Gwen Riddell in California, this decision is another attack on the right to choose for women in the United States. Riddel believes the right to these medications is vital.

“So why is it that a 17 year old is able to finish high school?

So that [a] 35 year old mom who has three children is able to continue going to her job and paying for childcare, so that a person who was sexually assaulted and became pregnant from that assault was able to have an abortion freely,” Riddell said.

Sophomore Vihaan Rathi thought the latest order by the high court was a response to the backlash it earned in the Dobbs ruling. “I think because of how ex-

treme the medication ban was and taking into account the backlash that the [Supreme Court] faced after Dobbs, I think they were more or less forced to at least act apolitical and preserve access to the abortion drug,” Rathi said.

Many also see optimism for abortion rights going forward. “I think there’s hope from [generation Z]. And, you know, the voters coming up are not that conservative. I think that many, many people in this coming generation are very pro-choice. And so I say, elections have consequences and this is all a consequence of the 2016 election. And so I feel like the pendulum has swung, it’s going to swing back,” Riddell said.

Opinion: Willow Project exposes lack of climate priorities

by Charlyn Chu SOCIAL JUSTICE ASSISTANT EDITOR

When Biden’s decision to approve the ConocoPhillips Willow Project hit every headline, the long standing debate of environmental protection versus economic development came to the forefront once again. Despite pleas and petitions to suspend the approval, federal judge Sharon Gleason has declined to stop progress towards combating climate change.

The Willow issue is much more complex than a simple question of “environment or economy,” with legal considerations, political decisions and “leakage’” arguments coming into play. However, the disastrous effects Alaskan oil drilling may have is undeniable, possibly releasing 277 million tons of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere.

“In the future, the most important thing is to not lease companies the right to drill on public lands, and to continue in the path of what the Biden administration [was doing]: providing economic incentives to transition to more renewable energy sources for producers and consumers,” RM Climate Club president and senior Fisher Mallon said. The club has planted over 800 trees in the past two years, among other projects like building a rain garden on RM grounds and installing low-flow aerators.

Willow alone is not the reason

for our impending doom; after all, we’ve been warned since 1988. But add up years of fossil fuel burning, and it becomes obvious that environmental protection has always been shadowed by the need for economic growth. This growth often comes from big oil and gas projects like Willow, generating billions in revenue and thousands of jobs for Americans, at the cost of an enhanced greenhouse effect.

The idea that economic growth can be good for environmental protection is one that has been pushed by economists for years, but perhaps it’s more of the other way around. A thriving economy cannot just be measured by its GDP in recent years of development; it must be measured also by the health of citizens and its ability to sustain itself long term.

When a lack of environmental protection leads to climate change, there’s a domino effect: marine heat waves affect sea life which ripples on to fishing industries; warmer weather causes droughts that affect agricultural production and decrease crop yields; floods in coastal areas result in mass destruction. The cost of rebuilding communities and livelihoods after environmental disasters outweighs any revenue lost from green policies that limit emission levels.

“Putting economic profit over the environment is going to come back to bite us when croplands become less productive, and suddenly prioritizing beef production over staple crops with less of a carbon footprint will actually lower worldwide

food production and make people go hungry,” Mallon said.

It’s easy to think short-term, to look at effects easily quantifiable by a decline in the yearly GDP or a rise in production costs when considering eco-friendly packaging. It’s rational to argue that countries’ today would never achieve the wealth they did had they not taken advantage of natural resources, that an initial deterioration in the environment is sometimes followed by improvement. It’s harder to see that we may not have this luxury of an initial time period to test how our economic growth will affect the environment.

Sure, hundreds of years ago, there was an abundance of natural resources and uncultivated land. This is not the case anymore. We are at a time where protecting the environment must come first because we have prioritized the economy for too long, and the Earth’s health is now compromised because of it.

“Urgent action needs to happen; the UN Intergovernmental Panel on climate change and scientists are warning that time is running out before we pass the threshold of 1.5 Celsius above pre-industrial averages, when climate change becomes so-called irreversible,” Mallon said.

Change is needed on all scales, institutionally and internationally. Climate change must be a concern and priority for all countries. Otherwise, individual governments will only continue to approve projects like Willow to stay competitive in

the global market and keep economic benefits “at home.”

Measures coupling environmental protection with economic growth through methods of sustainable development is often cited as a “win-win” situation for all parties, but without strict regulation and widespread government action, it is naive to think fossil fuel giants will actually shift to renewable energy. Policy must adjust to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and our consumption patterns must change greatly.

The question of environment versus economy is no doubt nuanced, and choosing one does not mean sacrificing the other.

However, environmental protection must be prioritized over economic development if we want not just a prosperous future, but a future at all. Climate change has already exacerbated extreme weather events that threaten to make parts of Africa and Asia uninhabitable. The idea of an Earth inadequate for human survival may not stay an idea for longer; just ask the polar bears. We must collectively start thinking like chessmasters: steps and steps ahead. If we don’t prioritize our environment over the economy now, before we realize it... checkmate.

“This is a consequence of the 2016 election [...] the pendulum has swung, it’s going to swing back.”

- Gwen Riddel

GRAPHIC BY EVELYN SHUE

GRAPHIC BY EVELYN SHUE

I hope to be great in every way possible.

What's the price of bananas? A high school experience! Much love to Rice Guys, The Tide, all-purpose boba mochi, endless FaceTimes, & everyone and everything else at RM.

Excuses are the bricks that build the house of failure. Do your work before you hang out with your friends.

Hey juniors and underclassmen. As a senior that will soon be in a new environment surrounded by all sorts of people, my biggest advice to you is to do things that make you happy and things that you want to do. The only opinion that truly matters is your own. Use that to become who you truly want to be, no matter what others may think.

To my friends & favorite juniors— I am beyond excited for all you will see, experience, and accomplish. The trajectories of our separate lives will move us miles and years apart (Aarushi Angelica Kev, my cali bears), but it's been an absolute joy and honor to cross paths for these four. Thanks for all the love and laughter! I promise to get better at keeping in touch…

Definitely go to sports games especially football and basketball! The more people that go, the more fun they are, so definitely go support RM sports.

Thank you to all of the teachers and staff that helped me focus and work on raising my grades. Stay focused and achieve your goals, avoid any distractions at all costs and focus on yourself.

Go to football games and other school events! They are fun and make high school memorable.

To rising seniors, skip as many days as possible. You should realize by now that school is not your whole life. If you choose to go to college, good for you. If not, good for you. Be nice to your teachers, it goes a long way. Participate in every spirit week, go to all the sports games, support every team. Senior year is fun if you make it fun. Love you, RM.

I would like to take this opportunity in order to make up for anything I have ever done or said in the past as well as any interactions I have ever had with any person throughout my 4 years of high school by apologizing to absolutely no one. I have no regrets and I am more than glad I crossed you over.

Avery Wang

Layout by Tara Amin

Graphics by Shuxin Dai and Christiana Vucea

Samantha Wu

Mahamadou Traore

Aga Huseynov

Bry Guerrero

Ivana Haynes

Kelsey Lee

Kendarae Archie

Todd Rosenblatt

Maggie Orcev

Shuxin Dai

Stop joining club email lists that you’re never going to show up to, club leaders are tired.

Oree Yachin

Play a sport, take AP Enviro, study for your AP’s and don't do your homework after 8 pm.

Kyle Nguyen

Mrs. Goetz is the best math teacher.

John Baiyeshea

Always be yourself, don't change the way you act to be "cool.” Playing a sport is definitely a great way to build great memories and friendships that you will cherish for life. Lastly, I know a lot of people say this but enjoy high school because it goes by so fast. I never believed the people who told me this but here I am with 24 days of high school left thinking about all of the good times.

To the upcoming seniors or any underclassmen, do not and I mean do not procrastinate because it will bite you when you least expect it. Also, don’t succumb to ‘senioritis.’ Get involved in clubs! I promise you will find the club, or clubs, for you.

Make sure to go to as many football games, homecomings, and other school events that you can. High school will go by faster than you think, so get involved and have fun. Also, take pictures!

To all the juniors, the most challenging part about senior year is applying to colleges. I recommend visiting all the colleges you can over the summer to get a sense of what type of schools you like and will want to apply to in the fall. The most important thing is to surround yourself with people who make you happy and care about you and to make the most of your last year in high school!

Lillie Gritz

Even though I didn't get a full experience of high school, it was still a great time. I totally recommend doing photography because you get to take film pictures. I am so lucky that I got to meet new friends in that class and got to know Ms. Gould. Ms. Gould, I am so glad that I took photography. It was such a fun year with you.

Nadia Estrada

Make more parking spots for students. There’s hundreds of us and we only have 30.

To all the teachers these past four years, I want to thank you for helping and teaching us through Covid and keeping up through all of the tough times.

Don't take everything so seriously! Chances are you'll forget about it next year!

Explore everything.

Make sure you keep people important to you close! Those will be your friends for life.

Take non-stem AP/IB classes, the workload is not as hard as they say it is.

Gerald Onyedika

Scout Pollack

Ruth Laforest

Nathan Glasser

Genevieve Cowl

Mackenzie Caldwell-Degnon

Helina Tamiru

Hiyaw Ziku

FEATURES

Psychology behind our love for horror movies

by Ava Smith FEATURES WRITER

Horror is one of the most popular movie genres, with movies containing suspense and jump-scares thriving in the cinema market. But why do people go crazy over films that leave them with nightmares?

The human response to horror movies has a major effect on the human body. According to Everyday Health, contrary to popular belief, horror movies don’t only create the effect of fear.

“When we watch a horror movie, it is like experiencing a thrill. Some people’s nervous sys tems are wired in a way that they need a higher level of arousal,” psycholo gy teach er Ms. Sharon Vires said.

“Therefore, they purposely seek out things like horror movies and roller coasters.”

The emotion of fear stimu lates our brains, which makes us excited. “When we experience this thrill, our

brains release adrenaline that energizes us as well as the chemical dopamine which gives us a feeling of reward,” Ms. Vires said.

Some students feel satisfied after watching something scary. “I love horror movies. Whenever I am with my friends, we put on a scary movie late at night. It’s fun to be scared,” junior Devin Coyle said. Another reason for our attraction to horror films is the opportunity to challenge ourselves with threatening situations in the safest possible way. “This allows us the ability to feel braver and more accomplished without actually dealing with true danger,” Ms. Vires said. Humans enjoy challenges, and they feel good when they overcome them. Perhaps horror movies can even prepare us for victory. For example, watching a bloody zombie movie could teach humans how to survive a zombie attack if one occurs. “After watching the Hunger Games, I just knew I would win. If I were in that situation, I would be prepared,” junior Camryn Tyser said.

Honoring Eid-alFitr this Ramadan

by Mayah Nachman ASSISTANT CENTERSPREAD EDITOR

Starting the evening of March 22, many RM students spent the month honoring Ramadan, known as the holiest time for Muslims, along with more than 1.8 billion others around the world.

Ramadan is meant to honor the month during which Islam’s prophet Mohammed received the Qur’an, the Muslim holy book, from God. It is also believed that during the last 10 nights of Ramadan, he recived the first verses of the Qur’an.

One of the most prevalent customs during Ramadan is fasting from when the sun rises to when the sun sets. While fasting, Muslims wake up before the sun rises in order to eat a meal, called Suhur, before they begin their day. When the sun sets, they break their fast during a meal called Iftar.

It is common for Muslims to initially break their fast by eating dates, which was a custom of Mohammad, and drinking water. Throughout the month, many Muslims get together with family and friends to break their fast, which can be a highlight

for many. “Being able to spend so much time with my community is really memorable…you just make a lot of good memories,” junior Sayeda Hasni said.

reflection and empathy for those who are less fortunate.

In addition to not eating or drinking, Muslims are meant to avoid immoral behavior such as smoking and other immoral words and thoughts.

Because the Muslim calendar is shorter than the Greogorian calendar, Ramadan starts 10-12 days earlier each year, making it occur at a slightly different time each year. This year, the month-long holiday ended the evening of April 20, marking the start of Eid al-Fitr.

During Ramadan, Muslims congregate in mosques more frequently and say special prayers. Moreover, some set out to read the entire Qur’an within the month. “This month is where you really take your time to dedicate yourself to Allah by focusing on your relationship with him, practice discipline, let go of bad habits and try to complete the five obligatory pillars [of Islam],” junior Tazmira Tazrin said. Ramadan is less a period of atonement and more a time to practice self restraint,

At MCPS, students were given a day off on Friday, April 21, which many students appreciated. Eid al-Fitr is one of two major holidays on the Islamic calendar, which celebrates the ending of Ramadan. The holiday is celebrated by holding prayer services, wearing nice cultural clothing and giving to charity. Students also enjoy receiving gifts and money from family and eating sweet desserts on Eid.

Additionally, many family and friends get together to eat after a month of fasting during the day. “Getting to eat amazing food after Eid prayer in the morning is one [of my favorite parts about Ramadan],” Tazrin said.

Embracing the beauty of Mother Nature

Every year on April 22, the world comes together to celebrate Earth Day, a global event that unites millions in a shared mission to protect our planet. With the impacts of climate change on the rise, the health and sustainability of the environment are becoming more and more important, along with the annual celebration of Earth Day. Earth Day was originally established in 1970 by Senator Gaylord Nelson to bring awareness to the negative impacts of industrialtion on the environment. It has since evolved into a global celebration, garnering engagement from over one billion individuals across almost two hundred countries every year. Various clubs and organiza-

tions at RM are involved as well, such as Climate Club. Climate Club aims to combat environmental crises, such as climate change and pollution, by organizing events and projects that give students a chance to create change.

The club is currently constructing a rain garden near the bus loop. “We just got the plants for it recently, and we’re using money from a grant to fund our projects,” freshman and Climate Club leader Josie Kim said. “A rain garden allows thirty percent more water to soak into the ground, so it will help with runoff.”

The Climate Club has also been working with the nonprofit Tree-Plenish to plant 400 native trees in Montgomery County. Local community members ordered saplings to be planted in their yard by volunteers or picked up on April 22, which happens to be Earth Day.

“We sold 487 trees and passed our goal,” freshman Barkha Bishnoi said. “It has the potential to sequester one million

pounds of carbon in fifty years, which is utterly amazing.”

In addition to constructing a rain garden and planting trees, the RM Climate Club has organized many initiatives in the past, such as the faucet aerator project that replaced water fau-

cets in school bathrooms with ones that conserved more water. “I think the biggest takeaway from these projects is that we are helping the environment while also giving back to the community around us,” Kim said.

Apart from clubs, RM itself

has many ongoing school-wide initiatives as well for Earth Day such as the Trex Plastic Recycling Challenge. “[It] is something we started five years ago, and each year we re-enroll in the program and collect at the school,” administrative secretary Laura Hermansdorfer said. “Mr. Goetz…collects the plastic from each bin on a biweekly basis. He weighs the plastic and drops it off at a local grocery store.” Despite having been started recently, the Trex Plastic Recycling Challenge has already achieved great success in preserving the Earth. “We submitted a total of 1,300 pounds of plastic this school year, which is the largest amount we have ever submitted,” Ms. Hermansdorfer said. Upcoming projects include moving the butterfly garden to an area with richer soil and greater sun exposure.

GRAPHIC BY JULIANNE CRUZ

PHOTO COURTESY OF SAYEDA HASNI

PHOTO BY ELLIE NOH

Sayeda Hasni and her family pose during an Eid-al-Fitr celebration.

GRAPHIC BY SELENA LI

“Spending so much time with my community is really memorable.”

- Sayeda Hasni

by Jocelyn Yuan

SENIOR FEATURES WRITER

“Some people’s nervous systems are wired in a way that they need a higher level of arousal.”

- Ms. Vires

“Whenever I am with my friends, we put on a scary movie late at night. It’s fun to be scared.”

- Devin Coyle

A sunset paints the sky following a time-out at a football game.

FEATURES

Seniors compete in ‘Rocket Assassin’

by Avery Wang, Samantha Wu and Michaela Boeder EDITORS-IN-CHIEF AND SENIOR FEATURES WRITER

As the end of the school year approaches, seniors are studying for their final exams, picking out-

do whatever it takes to win.”

This year’s competition includes 49 teams, composed of four players each. Each team is assigned a team to target, with a twofold goal—eliminate your target and stay alive. When a team eliminates all players from their target team, they assume their target’s target team.

aggression and no eliminations on prom night. Players are also required to document their kills in a five-second clear video clip to be sent to @rocketassassin on Instagram for an elimination to be considered valid. The rules also encourage participants to use common sense, and the game is not a school sponsored event.

The entry fee was $5 per person, or $20 per team, and amounted to a prize pool of over $1,000. This year, the first place prize is $600, and the remaining amount is split between the runner-ups.

“The cash prize is a good incentive,” Murphy said. “Part of the value you get out of it is the game itself, you know, the strategic planning. There’s definitely a lot of tension going on right now among seniors.”

Some students have gone to extreme lengths, finding flight details to stalk their targets through airports, taking to the roads for drive-by water spraying or entering homes to catch their friends by surprise.

(unless given permission) and places of worship are designated as safety zones. Safety zones are ‘no-attack’ areas. Participants are also not permitted to shoot others while they are driving cars or actively working (ex. babysitting). The organizers stress on Instagram that places and activities can become safety zones if the individual or others will be put in danger, and one player was involved in a car accident unrelated to the game on April 27. There has already been mild conflict over the particulars of the rulesSome students on the event’s Instagram page called for appeals on the legality of their untimely demises, to which the organizers reposted a statement saying “appealing your death or someone else’s death is no longer a thing.

If I think [you’re] dead, [you’re] dead, stop [complaining].”

Floaties are a symbol of immunity and must be worn on participants’ arms or legs, so long as they remain clearly visible. They offer protection but are simultaneously a marker that a student is participating in the game, making them a target for other players.

Purge days are days in which floaties no longer grant immunity and are announced 24 hours prior. These days are a free-forall and target assignments do not dictate who can be eliminated by who. However, purge days still prohibit shooting in safety zones. On the first purge, 29 students were eliminated—in their homes, walking to cars and at work.

“Stay dry, happy hunting and don’t trust anyone,” Murphy said.

fits for prom, counting down the days until graduation and hunting one another with water guns.

An annual second-semester RM tradition, Rocket Assassin is a water gun battle at its core, with rules and “Purge Days” that inject a sense of alertness and thrill into seniors’ daily routines.

“Basically it’s a giant water gun fight and it’s all for laughs,” senior Pacifico Murphy said, “but also, people will

While the activity is advertised as a non-school sponsored event, players must still adhere to ground rules and are provided some safeguards; for example, MCPS school grounds are a “safety zone” and wearing swim floaties grants immunity outside of safe zones.

The rules include: seniors only, inform family members, bright and visible floaties, no assassinations in safety zones, no extreme

Murphy made the first kill by finding online information on his target, Tyler Senko. “[He] was in a Washington Nationals JV Hockey Database, and his mom was listed as a contact. So that’s how I found out his mother’s name and email. And then using a reverse lookup… I just found his address,” Murphy said. “I just figured that the morning of the first day of senior assassin, people wouldn’t be ready. So why not stick out a house and get the first kill?”

All MCPS grounds, school affiliated events, inside houses, cars

Are college rankings relevant?

by Michaela Boeder SENIOR FEATURES WRITER

the U.S. News and World Report released its 2023-2024 preview for Law and Medical School rankings of the top 15 colleges on April 11, 2023, despite boycotts. With Yale and other prestigious colleges dominating the ranking system, many are asking: is college rank still relevant?

Following boycotts last year, U.S. News announced the changes they have made for the 20232024 medical and law school ranking methodology. These changes include reducing the MCAT and GPA scores and decreasing the weight of reputation surveys.

kins, the Uni ver sity of Penn sylva nia and Harvard Universi ty as the top three medical schools re spectively.

not only ap ply to gradu ate programs.

Universities and Colleges are ranked by U.S. News annually to curate a numbered college list based on factors such as graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, expert opinion, financial resources, student excellence,

standardized tests, highschool standing and alumni giving. For the 2022-2023 ranking, Princeton and MIT were No. 1 amd 2 respectively, with Yale, Harvard and Stanford tied for third place in National Universities.

“The kids I see in particular have a high regard of ranking,” C2 Education College Prep Expert and Educator Chris Davey said. “I would say as a professional, I would like my students to not have a high regard to the ranking because college is such an individualistic thing.”

Some students argue that the college ranking system is unfair

News score of 68 out of 100.

While some students negate certain colleges because of their lower ranking, others gravitate toward colleges because of their high ranking.

“When I was applying to colleges, college ranking did factor into my decision, and I did apply to a lot more competitive schools,” senior Alexandra Doncheva said.

to apply to all of the Ivies hoping to get in. [More] people are apply-

program at a college and the environment is vital to making a de-

factors that play into rank.”

Towson is currently ranked No. 33 in Regional Universities North, with a U.S.

For Doncheva, applying to top -ranked schools was about more than aiming for a prestigious college: it was about how that name would be reflected on a resume.

“I was banking on the fact that everyone knows that these schools are prestigious. So if I go to the school, I will have much higher chances of employment after graduation,” she said.

Both Harvard and MIT ranked in the top five national universities for 2022 and in the top three top universities for employability in 2022, according to Times Higher Education.

“The effect [college rank] has on the college admissions process is relatively toxic,” senior Jason Altneu said. “People apply to highly selective schools and are pushed

ty of it lies in looking into the program you’re interested in.

“I did look at the ranking of the schools or colleges within the university, so how arts and sciences schools [ranked] because sometimes a school can be really good, but one of their programs is really weak,” she said.

There are other factors for students to consider over the college ranking system. “I think campus culture is an important thing, you know how they fit in on campus. You have to live there for four years. Class size, campus size, campus location are all important as well,” Davey said.

While most would agree that considering the excellence of a

into whatever school you want. But there’s no guarantee you’re going to graduate [or] get a job.”

According to Pollack, college rank has had a strong influence on the RM community.

“Some of the effects of college ranking, especially within the IB program at RM, is [that] people shame others for their ranking of their college. But it really shouldn’t be that big of a deal.”

The boycotts and some student perspectives suggest that college rankings have lost relevance. “For a lot of people, it’s irrelevant. Look for a school that’s best fit for you. It might not always be the highest on the list,” Pollack said.

“Look for a school that’s best fit for you. It might not always be the highest on the list.”

- Scout Pollack

PHOTO BY AVERY WANG

If a player is squirted by a water gun, they become eliminated from the competition.

Anna Jean-Phillipe, Cindy Chen and Kyle Nguyen pose with their water guns.

PHOTO BY AVERY WANG

ARTS

TikTok takes over the music industry

by Zita Ziniel ARTS WRITER

Released in China in Septem ber 2016 and released internation ally in September 2017, TikTok is a social media app centered around short videos. The videos usually feature an audio–often music–that can be shared and used by other content creators.

The app is a hit among many types of people, particularly teenagers. According to busi nessofapps.com, TikTok has been the most downloaded app in America and the world since 2019. This widespread popu larity has allowed the app to affect many aspects of popu lar culture–especially music.

A key factor in the app’s mu sical influence is the length of the videos. Most of them last from approximately 15 to 30 seconds. This means that if a song is being used for the vid eo, only a snippet of it is played.

Some artists have started to CDEFU,” by Gayle, “I’d Rath-

that are quickly forgotten.

RM seniors look forward to their futures as artists

by Marlene Orantes ARTS WRITER

When choosing a major for college, many may think to go a money-making route instead of choosing something that they’re passionate about, like art. Especially in times like these with a rise in technological advances, STEM majors have gained great popularity, specifically computer science, which according to The Princeton Review is the number one college major in the United States. Though going to the arts may seem like a risky choice, it may be well worth it. There are a handful of students at RM who are choosing to major in art, like film, theater, and writing.

Senior Connor Van Ryzin is one of them, majoring in Film and Media Production at Savannah College of Art and Design.

“I decided to commit to my school, SCAD, because it [is] one of the top-ranked schools in film and TV production but also because of its location in Georgia which is developing into a film hot spot similar to Hollywood in the West,” Van Ryzin said. “I wanted to be a film major because I’ve always loved consum-

Van Ryzin also mentioned that in school, film class helped him develop this passion, as well as watching movies. On top of that, his dad inspired him to get into

changed the length of songs as a

whole. Statistics from socialmediapsychology.eu state that app’s short video format has shortened users’ attention spans. This has resulted in half of all users having trouble with lengthier videos.

ing great movies. Some have had a deep emotional impact on me and I want to help create art that can do that to others as well.”

media production as he worked in that area and encouraged him to explore that same interest. Though he has this inspiration, he does feel pressure in studying art. “There is always that stigma about starving artists who struggle to make a living,” he said “I’ve definitely grappled with the idea of studying a more financially stable field but I never could see myself enjoying it as much as pursuing my passion.”

Another senior, Scout Pollack, is majoring in a different type of art: writing. She will be studying Professional Writing at the University of Pittsburgh. “I chose writing because it’s the thing I’ve always loved doing,” Pollack said. “I enjoyed English all through school and wanted a major that let me continue that.”

Scout

According to Billboard.com, in the year 2000, the average length of the top 100 songs was around 4 minutes and 10 seconds. From 2015-2017, around the time TikTok was introduced, songs were around 3 minutes and 32 seconds to 3 minutes and 43 seconds. In 2021, the average length was three minutes and 7 seconds. The shortening of attention spans has made it increasingly difficult for people to listen to longer songs. Artists have noticed this, and made their songs shorter.

The rise of TikTok has made the music sharing process quicker and easier than ever. The constant flow of trends has given artists more opportunities to gain attention than any other app has, effectively changing the way people listen to songs and the creative dynamics surrounding them.

GRAPHIC BY JULIANNE CRUZ

The location of the college and other students’ experiences were also deciding factors in choosing to attend the University of Pittsburgh. “The campus is gorgeous and it’s in the middle of a city. The school has nothing but good reviews from the graduates I’ve met,” Pollack said. At RM, she joined activities that gave her the ability to explore her passion. These included Moco for Literacy and Mock Trial, which gave her an opportunity to explore formal writing and speeches. Her inspirations also come from her ninth-grade English teacher and from author Julie Berry. Pollack does not feel that pressure of failing, and she finds enjoyment from people’s low expectations because she can do what she loves.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CONNOR VAN RYZIN

“I never could see myself enjoying it as much as pursuing my passion.”

- Connor Van Ryzin

These practices often result in dated songs that are quickly forgotten.

Connor

Van Ryzin plans to

further develop his passion of filmmaking.

RM’s drama club, the Black Maskers, is popular among both those interested in theater or acting or simply enjoy putting on a show.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SCOUT POLLACK

Pollack anticipates studying writing in college.

“It’s the thing I’ve always loved doing.”

- Scout Pollack

Tiktok has changed the length of songs as a whole.

PHOTO BY AVERY WANG

Mattel also created Barbies in different careers to help children explore careers and recognize that they too, could be inspiring women. Astronaut Barbie, launched in 1965, went to the moon four years before Neil Armstrong did, and Executive Barbie broke barriers in 1963, a time where women were almost completely absent from top company positions.

To make Barbie more relatable, friends and family were created.

Ken Carson, Barbie’s boyfriend, was introduced in 1961, and Midge Hadley, her best friend, was created in 1963. Barbie’s little sister, Skipper Roberts debuted in 1964.

But before her glamorous life and massive enterprise, Barbie was simply the creation of a mother who wanted to prove to her daughter that women were not just restricted to the baby dolls she played with, and could be so much more.

Barbie was creat ed in 1959 by Ruth Handler, co-founder of the renowned toy company Mattel, Inc. She noticed that her daughter played with baby dolls but had to turn to paper dolls if she wanted to play with adult dolls, preventing her daughter to from imagining the future of women beyond girlhood.

buying the rights for Bild Lilli in 1963, leading to more than a decade of Barbie’s popularity.

An icon of the 21st century, the popularity of Barbara Millicent Roberts—better known as Barbie—has made her one of the biggest celebrities in the world. Her popularity spans across generations, from baby boomers to Generation Alpha.

“The first time I was introduced to Barbie was in the car with all my DVDs driving to Vermont…” McConell said. “I was like, I think, in second grade.”

However, 64 years of Barbie craze was filled with much criticism as well, the largest complaint being the lack of diversity in Barbie dolls, of which Mattel responded by releasing an official African American and Latina Barbie (among other internation-

‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ is a wild ride

by Emil Fang ARTS WRITER

Crosswords

After a trip to Germany, Handler was inspired by the Bild Lilli doll, an adult doll based off of a German comic, to create an adult doll herself. This led to the creation of the first Barbie with her iconic blonde hair and zebra print one-piece swimsuit.

She debuted at the American Toy Fair in New York City that year, and was an instant hit, with more than 300,000 dolls sold the first year. Her popularity led the makers of Bild Lilli to sue Mattel for copyright infringement, but Mattel resolved the issue by

by Heather Wang SENIOR ARTS CONTRIBUTOR

Often called one of the greatest musical successes of all time, Frank Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera” tells the story of a mysterious figure who haunts the Paris Opera House and becomes obsessed with a young soprano named Christine Daaé. Its timeless and captivating nature is what has allowed it to become the longest running show in Broadway history, nearly hitting 14,000 performances after 35 years.

portrayals, releasing Barbies in different body types, skin tones, eye colors, and hairstyles. Ever since, this collection has been becoming more inclusive such as the 2019 collection including two dolls with physical disabilities and the 2022 collection including a Barbie with a hearing aid and a Ken with vitiligo. Furthermore, on Apr. 25, Mattel announced it would be releasing a doll with Down Syndrome.

Since Barbie’s debut in 1959, she has remained popular and will likely to continue to retain her celebrity status as Mattel adapts with the times and continues to release more diverse Barbies.

“Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” is a movie based off of the popular table-top role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). It features Chris Pine as Egdin Darvis, a quick-witted bard and leader of the party, Michelle Rodriguez as Holga Kilgore, a meat-headed barbarian, Justice Smith as Simon Aumar, an inept sorcerer and Sophia Lillis as Doric, a serious druid. Being a long-time D&D fan, I went into this movie not really expecting much, but this movie blew my mind with its characters, comedy and visual effects. Let’s start with the characters. The characters are all a joy to watch and it’s clear that the actors had fun playing them. I especially loved Chris Pine’s character Egdin Darvis. He’s a balance of serious and witty. All his jokes work right and him being the leader of the party just feels natural because he uses his craft to come with extremely well-thought out plans. Michelle Rodiguez’s character, Holga Kilgore is also effortlessly funny being the meathead of the party but she also has the best action scenes smashing through waves of enemies. Justice Smith’s character Simon plays off of Holga and Egdin’s characters easily and develops as a character over the course of the movie.

That leaves us with Doric. Doric’s character unfortunately gave the weakest impression out of the other main characters. While the Doric does have moments of intense action that help progress the story, she doesn’t have much of a presence. Usually when the other characters are talking, she

stays completely silent. This partly makes sense, as Doric is new to the party, which is already familiar with each other, but it’s still strange how much she doesn’t speak throughout the movie.

Another strength of the film is the story. It’s not the best fantasy out there, but nevertheless it’s still a charming tale that doesn’t forget to pay tribute to D&D. One of the best things the film did was not completely pander to people who understand or play D&D.

Somebody who isn’t familiar with D&D could still watch this movie and have a blast, but a D&D player could appreciate the aspects of the game that

elements and the film delivers on the magic. The different races from dragon-people to bird-people are all extremely detailed, even if they are only going to be featured for a couple of seconds. Still, the film’s visual effects really hit their stride. It showcases phenomena like a person shape-shifting into a fly to a mouse to a deer as they are chased down by guards. Flipping gravity causes the camera to flip in one disorienting motion, leading townsfolk to get trapped into the rafters on the ceiling. A chase scene with a fat dragon is meticulously detailed in the way it breathes

The story within “The Phantom of the Opera” began not with lyrics and melodies, but with a 1910 horror novel by French author Gaston Leroux. He drew inspiration from rumors that the Paris Opera House was haunted, especially one incident where counterweights for a chandelier fell, killing a patron and injuring many others.

In Leroux’s Book, the fall of the infamous Paris Opera House chandelier is preserved as a devious trick of the Phantom of the Opera. Audience members who have had the opportunity to see the Broadway show in person and have watched this magnificent chandelier traveling over their heads are, thankfully, safe from it dropping down onto them.

in reality. The Paris Opera House has an underground cistern that became the inspiration for the location of the Phantom’s secret lair in Leroux’s novel as well as in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s later musical adaptation. The real cistern beneath the Paris Opera House is still used today to train Paris firefighters to swim in the dark. Aside from the creative re-

they kept. It captures the spirit of the original table-top game very well by not taking its story too seriously and having its characters do funny antics that genuinely made me giggle.

It doesn’t explain every little aspect of D&D lore, only explaining the crucial parts and opting to show the rest with spectacular visual effects.

D&D features a lot of magical

work of fiction. Though some argue that Christine Daaé’s character in Leroux’s novel was inspired by Christine Nilsson, a soprano that sang in the Paris Opera House, the infamous love triangle between Christine Daaé, Raoul, and the Phantom is only a spellbinding tale created by Leuroux.

“The Phantom of the Opera” has a unique ability to

fire and its razor-sharp teeth as it stubbornly chases the party across a underground city held by chains over a magma-filled lake. And that’s only a few examples of the numerous visual effects that bring the film to life.

“Dungeons and Dragons: Honor among Thieves” is a joy to watch, no matter if you’re a D&D veteran or just someone looking for an enjoyable movie.

ultimately lead to destruction.

In the musical, these dark themes are prevalent, but so is a strong message of hope and redemption. The character of Christine, who begins the story as a naive and inexperienced young woman, grows and matures throughout the story, eventually finding the strength to stand up to the Phantom and choose her own path in life.

Like all great things, perfor

The haunting lake that The Phantom takes Christine to in one of the musical’s songs, “The Phantom of the Opera,” is also rooted

workings of events that truly happened and places that truly existed, the plot of “The Phantom of the Opera” is a compelling

convey complex human emotions and relationships. It is a reminder that the most powerful of human emotions can

mances of “The Phantom of the Opera” came to an end with the last show taking place on Apr. 16. Though not all may have been able to see this majestic piece of musical brilliance, its legacy will live on through recordings and memories of more than 20 million people who watched it live at its Broadway venue, Majestic Theatre.

‘The Phantom and the Opera’ closes final curtain

PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS

The tale draws interest in its unique ability to convey complex human emotions.

Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez and Rege-Jean Page all star in the latest Dungeon and Dragons installment.

According to the London Theatre District, the Phantom of the Opera has been played to about 140 million people in fifteen languages, with about 230 costumes and 120 people working per show.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PARAMOUNT PICTURES

Its legacy will live on through recordings and memories of more than 20 million people.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MATTEL

by Naomi Scissors ARTS COLUMNIST

I want to start this review by noting that “Gummo” is rated R for pervasive depiction of anti-social behavior of juveniles, including violence, substance abuse, sexuality and language. Director Harmony Korine, who wrote the screenplay for Larry Clark’s explosively controversial “Kids” at age 19 (viewer discretion is strongly advised), made his directorial debut with Gummo in 1997, two years after “Kids” premiered. The New York Times called it “the worst film of the year.” CNN called it

‘Gummo’ is a film masterpiece

called woefully lacking. “Plot disgusts me. Real life doesn’t have plots,” Korine told The Guardian Weekend in 1999. This is the kind of statement Korine enjoys mak ing, and the whole film is shot in this reaction-seeking manner. The movie doesn’t aim to tell a story; rather, images are present ed for their visual merit alone.

is conspicuously played by Chloe Sevigny, who go around town in search of their lost cat. The rest

“proof that kids should not play with cameras.” The Chicago Tribune called it an “unwatchable, pretentious freak show.” Meanwhile, YouTube user ‘chris macri’ commented “greatest movie of all time” with a trophy emoji. If nothing else, it is a divisive film.

Perhaps the most recognizable images to emerge from the film are that of Bunny Boy, a shirtless boy in a pink bunny ear hat played by Jacob Sewell, hunched on a littered over pass, and that of Reynolds eat ing dinner in a filthy bathtub with a piece of bacon taped on the bath room wall behind him. “When I was making Gummo I was really obsessed with bacon,” Korine ex plained to Vice’s i-D magazine in 2017, “...like, bacon was my aes thetic.” A revelation that will per haps disappoint viewers: there is no meaning to the bacon on the wall or the pink ears on bunny boy’s hat. They just look cool.

In regards to plot, “Gummo” could be called a postmodern exploration of the medium which cuts together standalone scenes to create a rich visual tapestry far beyond the reach of standard slice-of-life films. It could also be

The setting is Xenia, Ohio, a real town struck by a tornado in 1974, but it was shot in Korine’s hometown on the outskirts of Nashville, Tennessee. The film’s only true plot point, the aforementioned tornado, happens before the opening scene. The only other discernible storyline involves three sisters, one of whom

plays Solomon’s widowed mother. The rest are old friends of Korine or residents of Nashville that he approached on the street and asked to appear. In “Gummo,” poverty is not vague or undefined, a tragic but non-threatening concept that exists only in far-away lands. Poverty is real and prevalent across the same

America where bejeweled stars walk red carpets in Hollywood and nepotism babies play artist in New York penthouses. It is not only depressing and demoralizing, it is boring. Mind-numbingly so. When you are grief-stricken hopeless and bored, there are many things you will do to distract yourself that you otherwise would not do. Critics may argue against the often senseless violence depicted in “Gummo,” but the reality is that many of the characters’ actions in the film are based on real events happening in the area during production, and many of the scenes feature non-actors improvising off of minimal prompting by Korine. It is incredibly unfortunate, infuriating may be more apt, that these scenes are so often dismissed with terms like “freak show.” Gummo is experimental. It is avant-garde. It is genre-defining. It is industry-changing. It is genius. It is the greatest film of all time. Sadly, it is currently unavailable for streaming. If you wish to watch it legally (piracy is not a victimless crime!), ask me when you see me and I will lend you the DVD I got from Walmart. Seriously.

THE TIDE CROSSWORD: DINNERTIME

DOWN

Note from the Editor:

Rachel Ezrielev, Joshua Fan and I put this grid together after having the idea over a month ago. We hope you all can take a break from studying and enjoy this crossword, and happy puzzling!

~ Annie Guo, Crossword Editor

I will lend you the DVD I got from Walmart. Seriously.

Naomi Scissors.

GRAPHIC BY JULIANNE CRUZ

Jersey number represents pride, identity

by Julia Fine SPORTS WRITER

Michael Jordan’s was 23, Tom Brady’s was 12, and Wayne Gretzky’s was 99. The number on a jersey is a signature part of many athletes’ personas and are what fans know the athletes as. Some athletes have strong connections to their number, and some simply just put on whichever one they see first. A patch on their shorts, a cheap sticker on their back, or a stitch on their shoulder can mean so much to someone.

Throughout RM, there are countless stories about student athletes’ connection to their number.

“11 has always been my lucky number, ‘’ sophomore Madison Heitzman said. This response is very common, with many student athletes picking a number they think is lucky or their favorite number. Some may think it’s just a sticker on the back of the jersey, but to many at RM, it means more. “Three has been my

favorite number forever.” sophomore Krish Parikh said.

To others, their number was randomly picked from a list of numbers, or it was the last one they could find, but they’ve grown attached to it since. “Five was the lowest one available sophomore year, ‘’ senior Davanee Mc-

Nairy said. Even though the number was not her first choice, she has stuck with it ever since and it is now her signature number at RM. Others have had similar experiences, such as sophomore goalie Meredith Kearns.

“In my first lacrosse game in third grade, I was given 9, and I’ve stuck with it ever since.” A jersey

number can become your personal sense of pride, and what represents you on the court or field.

Jersey numbers can stem from a wide variety of parts of your life, from birthdays to memories to a root of inspiration. “The number 10 symbolizes perfection for me, and it reminds me that I can always be better, because I never get the complete 10/10,” sophomore varsity baseball player Aitan Yachin said. Birthdays are extremely common points of inspiration for jersey numbers, from the month to the year to the day.

“I picked 5 because I was born in 2005,” junior soccer player Maddie Walsh said. Role models can also be a reason to pick a certain number for your jersey. “Some of my favorite goalies in professional soccer are number 1, like Hope Solo,” varsity soccer goalie Julie Schweiters said.

Finally, some people just get the last number available, and don’t have a real connection to it.

“Honestly it was one of the last

numbers left, so I just went with it,” junior baseball player Mason Roth said. For many teams, the younger players get last pick, resulting in them receiving numbers they don’t connect with. “I was on varsity as a freshman and I was the only one so I was the absolute last one that got to choose, and the only one left was 24,” sophomore Mckinley Heaven said. Having a connection with your jersey number can also help athletes’ performance in sports. According to Advanced Human Performance Systems, “What having a favorite number can do, however, is give the athlete a level of comfort that helps minimize performance anxiety and increase self-confidence.” When athletes have this better sense of control, confidence, and stress, their own field performance can improve, as they have a stronger motivation and focus.

Examining different athletes’ pregame routinues

by Amanda Gershoni SPORTS WRITER

A pre-game routine is defined as a sequence of task-relevant thoughts and actions which an athlete engages in systematically prior to their performance of a specific sport skill. People often say a pre-game routine can make or break your performance in an upcoming game. The routine could consist of listening to a certain genre of music, eating specific meals, putting one shoe on before the other, or wearing something special. Yet some Richard Montgomery student athletes take pregame routines to the next level.

“After school, I go to shoot around and then take a nap in the gym listening to my pre-game

music like No Sucker by Lil Baby to lock in for 20 minutes,” junior girls basketball center Joy Dau said. Unlike Dau, some student athletes focus on the way they

may present themselves. “The only real routine I have is wearing space buns in my hair,” senior girls lacrosse captain Davanee McNairy said. “I have played with my hair like that for years now and I don’t think I’ll ever change.”

As freshman girl’s lacrosse player Emerson Koenig prepares for her lacrosse games, she is still optimistic about a specific pre-game routine. “Most of the time I get ready early then listen to pump up music with my sister, and sometimes we get a hype speech from a friend,” Koenig said.

As many athletes around the world partake in a pre-game routine, it is the effect it gives on the way athletes play the game that really matters. “A big part of my routine is simply just getting into the mental headspace to make

a save and especially as a goalie, you need a good mentality in order to play well,” sophomore varsity girls lacrosse goalie Meredith Kearns said. This routine can help you to be as ready as you can be to deliver the performance you want. It allows you to eliminate distractions, build self-confidence, reduce anxiety, and narrow your focus.

“On game days in the morning I have a greek yogurt and a banana, and on game days in the afternoon and if I have more time to digest I’ll have a bagel and a banana,” sophomore girls soccer midfielder Mckinley Heaven said. “I always eat a banana,” Heaven said, proving that food is a large aspect of her pre-game routine. Aspects of an athlete’s religion is known to be a large focus within a pre-

game routine for a lot of people. “Before any game I always pray,” freshman boy’s soccer player Kamari People said. On the other hand, freshman boys hockey player Connor Rosier maintains his coolness and isn’t set on a specific routine. “I always eat something healthy and drink a ton of water and that’s really all,” Rosier said.

RM baseball reacts to the new MLB pitchclock

by Danny Martella SENIOR SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHER

In 2022, the average time of a Major League Baseball game was three hours and three minutes. In order to bring the game time down to a more watchable time, the league has implemented a “pitch clock” for the 2023 season. According to the MLB, the pitcher has to be in the motion of delivering the pitch by the time the timer expires on the pitch clock. The length of the timer changes depending on the situation. If a new batter is coming up, the pitcher has 30 seconds to begin the motion, between pitch es the timer is 15 seconds, and between pitches with a runner on base, 20 seconds.

If the pitcher violates these limits, the pitcher is punished with a ball added to the count. Bat ters also have a responsibility to be ready in a short amount of time. Batters have until the 8 second mark to be in the batter’s box

and be ready for the pitch or else the pitcher is awarded a strike. If the pitcher attempts to pick off a runner by throwing from the mound to a base, or he steps off the mound, the timer rests.

These are called disengagements. However, pitchers are limited to two disengagements per batter. The amount of disengagements resets if a runner advances a base during the batter’s time at the plate, for example, if the runner steals a base.

The players on the Rockets baseball team have mixed feelings about the implementation in the MLB. Junior Nate Hedgecock does not like it but sees how it can be effective, “I think it’s kind of annoying as a person who’s been playing baseball for a while, but it could help speed up the game and introduce new people to the game, increasing it’s reach,” he said. Senior

Zach Rose is also happy that the league is headed in the right direction. “I think the pitch clock

is good for baseball because it shows that the MLB is taking the stereotype that baseball is boring into consideration. The pitch clock allows a more enjoyable fan experience because of the increased pace of the game,” he said. Junior Teshaun Ryals-Wilson has seen it live. “I went to the Braves game two weeks ago and it was well time managed. Time just flew by,” Ryals-Wilson said. However he thinks it may be distracting to the players. “I think they should move the bright clock somewhere else instead of the back stop because I feel like the flashy lights can distract or throw the pitcher off,” he said.

Senior and starting pitcher Noah Rosier agrees that it can be good in some ways but not others. “It makes the games shorter but players will find a way around it. It messes up the tempo of pitchers and hitters,” he said. Junior Jayden Mandler also thinks that it messes up hitters. “I think with some more time the challenges will become less noticeable but the lack of time really affects hitter’s abilities to

focus and get their mind right,” Mandler said. Rose points to the consequences of the new rule, “There are problems with players rushing to the plate and pitchers rushing to pitch which has caused confusion and even ejections over the new system,” he said.

Despite the mixed feelings about the clock in the MLB, all the players agree it should not be imple-

mented at the high school level. Rosier points out that there is a skill difference between high school and professional players, “It depends on the age of the person I think. High school players are not as good so they may feel rushed,” he said. Rose also acknowledges this but adds that high school teams are not supposed to appeal to the fans, “Fans in the MLB fund the teams which is why having a more fast paced and exciting game is better with a pitch clock, but that’s not the case in high school.” Rose said. Another comparison made by the players is that the pace of highschool is not a problem, “the pace of play [in highschool] is generally much better than higher leagues, also it would be difficult to enforce the rule at this level,” Hedgecock said. Finally, the players just want to make the most of their high school baseball careers. “Kids shouldn’t be rushed to hit or throw a ball. We get a few big moment plays in our 4 years of high school and you want to make them count, not rush them and fail,” Ryals-Wison said.

The JV Boys basketball team gets energized for a regular season basketball game against Quince Orchard HS.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PATRICK AGUSTIN

PHOTO COURTESY OF PATRICK AGUSTIN Junior Joy Dau warms up before a varsity girls basketball game.

Senior Zach Rose gets a hit in the 9th inning to get on a base

PHOTO COURTESY OF DANNY MARTELLA

PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS Many student-atheltes drink water before games in order to stay hydrated.

RM boys lacrosse bounces back

by Libby Cooke NEWS WRITER

On Wednesday, April 19, the boy’s varsity lacrosse team won their first game of the season against Seneca Valley High School. The final score was 208. A few days later, on April 21, the Rockets defeated their rivals, the Rockville Rams, 176. At the halfway point of the season, RM lacrosse is focused on one game at a time with hopes to improve their record.

So far in the season, the Rockets have felt the impact of losing 14 seniors last year. With only eight seniors on the team this year, the young Rockets’ team is hoping to build itself up through valuable playing experience.

“Being able to test my skills and physicality against players on the other teams that may be more athletic than I am provides an excellent opportunity to reinforce said abilities,” sophomore defender Jack Suittenger said. “Being an underclassman

juniors. Many of these players were on JV last year, and while their teammates are similar to last season’s, the level of play is intenser. “Young players stepping up has definitely been a highlight of the season. We only have three seniors starting out of ten players,” Coach Puhl said.

While it could be said that the young team lacks some experience, many underclassmen players are positive that the team will gain more confidence and strength for the remainder of the season, as well as for next year.

“As a young team, many of our

goals are long term, including obtaining some much-needed experience as my fellow underclassmen and I gain valuable playing time - and possibly more importantly, team chemistry amongst ourselves - against other varsity teams,” Suittenger said. With two games left in the regular season, the team is hopeful to finish out the season with more momentum. “We want to continue to build on where we are now and look to make a playoff run at the end of the season,” Coach Puhl said.

on varsity is very important because I know that I have older teammates who can help me.”

The Rockets started off the first half of the season with tough competition, facing off against reigning state champions Winston Churchill. Their current record is 3-6. “We have had a tough start to the season with a hard schedule full of quality opponents. However, we are getting better each practice, each game and focusing on the positives,” boy’s varsity lacrosse coach Steven Puhl said. This season, the team is made up mostly of sophomores and

Friendship. school pride motivate decision to play

by Noah Stephenson SPORTS WRITER

For student-athletes, the decision to play a school sport is not one that is taken lightly. It requires a lot of commitment, dedication, relationship-building and hard work. See a glimpse into the three student-ath-

letes and their decision to play their school sport and talked to them about why they made that choice.

Jackson Jones, a senior at RM, chose to play basketball because he loves the sport and the adrenaline rush it gives him. “There’s nothing like the feeling of hitting a big shot or making a great play on defense. Basketball is also a way for me to stay in

shape and work on my skills,” Jones said. He also enjoys the social aspect of basketball and the friendships he has formed with his teammates.

Gabi Stephenson, a freshman Rocket, joined the poms team because she loves dancing and performing. “I’ve been dancing since I was about three years old, and being a part of the poms team is a way for me to contin-

ue doing what I love while also representing my school,” Stephenson said. For Stephenson, being on the poms team is also a way to make new friends and become more involved in school activities. “As a freshman, it can be scary to come into a new school, but being on the poms team

has helped me feel more connected to my school,” Stephenson said.

She finds the experience of being on the poms team to be incredibly rewarding, despite the long hours of practice and hard work required. Stephenson said, “It’s a great feeling being able to perform in front of a crowd and know that all of your hard work has paid off.”

Anthony Le, a RM senior, only recently started playing football but has found a new passion for the game. For him, playing football for his school is a way to stay involved and experience all of the ups and downs that come with playing team sports. “Playing football is a way for me to meet new people and be a part of something bigger than myself,” Le said.

These three student-athletes chose to play their school sport for a variety of reasons, from a love of the sport to a desire to just be a part of a team. Whatever their reasons may be, they all share a passion for their sport and a commitment to representing their school to the best of their abilities. The dedication and hard work required serves as an inspiration to their peers and as a testament to the importance of sports in the lives of student-athletes.

Winter Rocket athletes named to All-Metropolitan teams for their respective sports

Girls Swim & Dive:

Junior Sarah Eliason was named to the first team.

In her first year with the Rockets she broke the 100 butterfly, 200 IM and 100 freestyle school records. She also earned All-American times in the 100 butterfly, 200 freestyle and 100 freestyle. At States, she won the 100 butterfly.

Girls Swim & Dive continued: Junior Livia Vendetti was named to the second team. She played a major role in leading the girls team to a Division II championship title. She broke school records in the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke. She came away with two second place finishes at States, in the 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke.

Boys Swim & Dive: Sophomore Alex Nguyen earned an honorable mention recognition.

As a sophomore he broke the 500 freestyle school record. At States he placed 10th in the 500 freestyle, and 11th in the 200 freestyle. During the Metro championship he had a strong seventh place finish in the 500 freestyle.

Girls Basketball: Freshman Katie Diao earned an honorable mention recognition. The freshman point guard had an immediate impact on the team. Her creativity and defense on the court aided the Rockets to a successful season. She was also named to the 4A South First Team All-Division as well as the 4A South Newcomer of the Year.

Girls Wrestling:

Senior Nadia Estrada earned an honorable mention recognition. She finished her Rocket wrestling career as a three time Maryland State Champion. She dominated through the season as she won the regional championships to earn her a spot at the State Championship. - Shelby Roth

The boys varsity lacrosse team lines up during the national anthem in their game against B-CC on March 27.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PATRICK AGUSTIN

PHOTO COURTESY OF PATRICK AGUSTIN

Sophomore Kian Rajabtavousi, #9, cradles the ball.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PATRICK AGUSTIN

Junior Daniel Tofig, #32, watches the game from the midline.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DANNY MARTELLA

PHOTO COURTESY OF RM POMS

Freshman Gabi Stephenson (right) and sophomore Leah Bulson (middle) watch the football game in anticipation of their performance.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DANNY MARTELLA

Senior Anthony Lee, #66, makes a tackle agianst Whitman

Senior Jackson Jones #4, jumps for the ball against Rockville.